Sooty-faced Finch

Overview

The sooty-faced finch (Arremon crassirostris) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae, the New World sparrows. It is a year-round resident classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Length of 15 to 17 cm with a weight between 37 and 40.5 g.
• Adults feature a rusty crown and a white down-sweeping 'moustache' on a blackish gray head, with dark olive-green upperparts and a yellow belly.
• The bill has a dark gray maxilla and a pale yellow or whitish mandible, accompanied by dark brown irises and dark legs.
• Songs include 'high-pitched, thin, emphatic pseee-psééét' and 'high-pitched, thin whistled see see seeya sue sue sisi see', with a call described as a 'sharp, thin, whistled pu-pee'.

Habitat

Found in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama, the species inhabits montane evergreen forest in the subtropical and lower temperate zones. It favours dense undergrowth, especially in ravines and along streams, typically ranging in elevation from 600 to 2,340 m.

Diet

This finch feeds on insects, spiders, and berries. It forages on or near the ground, flicking its wings and tail as it hops, and sometimes attends army ant swarms.

Did you know?

Only one nest has ever been found, discovered in 1993 in Costa Rica, which was constructed from moss, fern leaves, and Selaginella spike-moss and attached to a fern stem approximately 1.5 m above the ground.